Israeli archaeologists discover ancient winemaking complex

By TSAFRIR ABAYOV
Associated Press

YAVNE, Israel (AP) — Israeli archaeologists say they have unearthed a massive ancient winemaking complex dating back some 1,500 years. They say the complex includes five wine presses, warehouses, kilns for producing clay storage vessels and tens of thousands of fragments and jars. The complex was discovered in Yavne, a central town south of Tel Aviv. Israel’s Antiquities Authority said Monday the discovery shows that Yavne was a wine-making powerhouse during the Byzantine period. Researchers estimate the facility could produce some 2 million liters (over 520,000 gallons) of wine a year and shipped its product across the Mediterranean.